51 "And then our solitude is overcome, and we are no longer alone, for we find that our innermost self is the Spirit; that it is God, the indivisible. And suddenly we find ourselves in the midst of the world, yet undisturbed by its multiplicity, for from our innermost Soul we know ourselves to be one with all Being." ~ Hermann Hesse
52 1 Corinthians 10:13 … transcending trials (01/10/2013) To all who suffer or have suffered: To live is to choose to Love; to Love especially when you have no stomach for it — especially when everything you’ve ever held dear crumbles like burnt paper in your hands; crumbles to dust in front of your hopeful eyes … and you try to take a breath but your throat is filled with the silt of your despair. It’s to choose to Love even when grief is sitting right next to you, with its stank-steamy, tropical-heat thickening the air around your mouth; air somehow heavier than water — more fit for gills than lungs. It’s to choose to Love when grief weights you down like your own flesh, only more of it — lots more of it; a veritable obesity of grief … When all you can think, over & over again, is “How can I withstand this? How can I live through even this single empty now?” And yet you DO choose to take that breath … You DO choose to live through that moment … You DO choose to reach out and take hold of life again. You take hold of it as if it were a child’s face resting gently between your palms –- a plain face, mind you; one with no sweet smile, no sapphire eyes, no charming lips. And you are holding this small, plain, almost-homely face in your time of seemingly greatest sadness. You are holding it there and you are hurting and you would just as soon turn away and give up … And yet instead you choose to smile upon that face; you smile upon it and softly say, “Yes, my child … I will take you with me. Yes, I will Love you again.” That, my Friends, is what it means to truly Live; not to someday know a deeper joy or one day feel a contentment more lasting, but rather to be covered in your deepest pain and soaked in your most acute distortion of self, and yet choose to rise regardless and stride boldly forth into this next new day. Amen … Let it be so. (inspired by Ellen Bass)
53 “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” ~ Paul (in 1 Corinthians 10:13)
54 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 … our only Gift (01/12/2014) Yes, we are all unique individuals, each with unique gifts we can give to others, each with unique talents we can use to serve those around us, and each with unique opportunities every day in which to do so ... And yes, we are all of us patently different in the ways we can Care -- and in the ways we can make our lives Meaningfull thereby. Yes, we are all different, and our paths through life are scintillated & many ... And yet how ironic it is that selfless LOVE (the verb) is the one & only Way for us all to practically experience "the Will of God" -- the one & only Way for us all to know a profound & lasting "Salvation". How ironic it is that, while there are literally billions of uniquely varied tributaries for us to sail towards a horizon of true Joy & pure Peace, there remains only one River which all of these rivulets must ultimately join -- that despite the fact that we do indeed each walk through our days along our own unique pathways to our own unique gaits with our own unique tempos, there is still only one Pure Path with which all our smaller ways must one day merge -- that there is only one, true Way that can ever hope to truly bring us HOME.
55 "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit within them; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord that inspires them; and there are varieties of selfless activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." ~ Paul (in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7)
56 John 7:37-38 … The Living Water of LOVE (01/13/2014) "On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink ... As the scripture has said, ‘"Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”'" ~ John 7:37-38 To the optimist, the glass is half-full ... To the pessimist, the glass is half-empty ... To the pragmatist, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be. And yet to the one who walks The Way of Love, there is always enough water in the glass to give another a moment of pure solace in their times of thirst. No matter how hard we have it or how poor we might be, we all have more than enough "water " (Love) in our "cups" (Hearts) to bring more than a bit of Peace to a stranger in need of the same … Remember, my Friends, our truest Joy comes not from getting enough to drink ourselves, but rather from even briefly soothing the parched suffering of another. So, my Friends ... got Joy?
57 John 8:31-32 … the Truth that sets us Free (01/27/2014) "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples ... and you will know the Truth ... and the Truth will set you free.” ~ Jesus Christ (in John 8:31-32) Many of you are probably familiar with this passage from the Bible (at least the last half of it), and yet I will wager that most of you have not considered the following very important corollary thereto: If it is indeed so that the Truth sets us free, then it is just as true that everything that constricts us & everything that confines us & everything that limits us ... is therefore not Truth. Indeed, for our LOVE to truly BE, our LOVE must be freely chosen, & for our LOVE to be freely chosen, we must first be completely Free to do so. So, my Friends, have the courage to go forth today and break the chains that bind you. Find & face the fears that are dampening your resolve & the obligations that are hindering your options & the vows that are strangling the potential Power of your LOVE … Face them, grasp them, and rip them off your Soul ... And then go forth anew; bold & reBorn. Go forth and be Free ... Go forth and Be LOVE. Amen ... Let it be so. P.S. In case you were wondering, in the Bible, Jesus himself defines both his Way and his "Word" as LOVE, the verb ... "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples: if you show Love for one another." ~ Jesus Christ (in John 13:35) P.S.S. … here, a bit of BONUS info for the deeper Seekers: *the Greek for "abide" in this verse ("meinete" - Gk 3306) means to actively continue to fulfill ... *the Greek for "word" in this verse ("logo" - Gk 3056), at least in Jesus' day, was a term that commonly referred not to mere vocal statements and not to Jesus himself, but rather referenced a Divine Wisdom that was ubiquitous -- found both within & around us all ... (see John 1:1-5) *the Greek for "truth" in this verse ("alētheian" - Gk 225) refers to more than mere scientific accuracy or spoken honesty. Rather, this particular Greek word speaks to Truth as an ideal -- an objective understanding of Universal Reality; the Truth as felt and known in the moral sphere; the Divine Truth as revealed to man via "angel" or conscience (In other words: LOVE, the verb) ... (see John 14:6-7+15-17)
58 John 13:17 … The Never-Ending Mountain (01/28/2014) No matter how high we climb -- no matter how much we learn or how much we achieve or how great we feel or even how much we serve, the Mountain of Life extends ever-upward. For there is always more to learn, and there is always more to attain and there is always more to experience -- and there is always more to Give. Yes, even when you are certain that you've reached the Pinnacle -- even when you are positive that there is nothing more to know or have or do, there's always another step to take … And especially when you think you've given everything you have to give -- as long as you are still breathing, there is still much more for you to offer. Of course, knowing at least a taste of real Happiness does not demand that we give away everything. Indeed, it is not at all necessary for us to sacrifice our entire lives to feel "fantastic" or consider ourselves "worthy", nor must we give "absolutely" or "perfectly" to take a few steps into a state of real Bliss -- the "Kingdom of Heaven" of which Jesus speaks. No, to sacrifice our very lives for another is not an obligation or a requirement or a commandment at all; rather, it is a privilege - a profound honor bestowed on only the very few … No, my Friends, to truly live a life of pure Joy & deep Contentment, we need not sacrifice everything at all. And yet, sacrifice a significant portion thereof we must … Be it our priceless time or a prized possession or a heartfelt forgiveness or our sincere affection, to enter the PEACE known to Jesus as "Heaven", we must indeed choose to sacrifice -- willingly & joyfully -- whatever is readily on hand to give. And what JOY we find in that giving! … What Peace we find in that sacrifice! And what a blessing it is that this Mountain knows no end – what a blessing that as soon as we triumph over any hill of selfishness or scale any peak of fear, we find the next Bliss-filled challenge waiting calmly before us.
59 "The Kingdom of Heaven will not coming with things that can be observed. For look, the Kingdom of Heaven is already both within and all around you ... And because of the increase of lawlessness, the Love of many will grow cold. And yet the one who perseveres with Love to the end will be saved ... If you understand these teachings, blessed are you while you enliven them." ~ Jesus Christ (in Luke 17:20-21 + Matthew 24:12-13 + John 13:17)
60 1 John 4:18 … The nonexistence of Hell (01/30/2014) Jesus made it quite clear that Heaven -- at least the "Kingdom of Heaven" that he was so fond of talking about -- was not some glorious place we head to after we die. No, for Jesus at least, Heaven was (and still is) already "at hand" -- Heaven was (and still is) all around every one of us in every moment of our lives -- Heaven was (and still is) "within" us all in every instant; waiting to be accessed whenever we wish to do so … "The Kingdom of Heaven is not coming in the future with things that can be observed, for truly, the Kingdom of Heaven is already both within and all around you." ~ Jesus Christ (in Luke 17:20-21) For those who feel capable of accepting this as Truth -- for all you "liberal Christians" & atheists & agnostics & Buddhists & Taoists & Sikhs & Hindus & Jews, I highly recommend going forth and acting accordingly ... I highly recommend going forth to live this day as if it will be your very last -- serving others in need, reveling in the immense beauty of Nature & the Heavens, and generally having a grand old time just being alive at all; laughing & singing & dancing & hugging & Loving the whole day through. Of course, I also realize that many a conservative Christian (those who primarily follow the Biblical teachings of Paul) will beg to differ with this interpretation -- that many who take the Bible literally will argue not only that Heaven is a place of never-ending glory & pleasure & ease where only the "worthy" are allowed to reside for eternity after their death, but that the eternal damnation of Hell awaits all "the unsaved" -- that the rest of us can only look forward to an inevitable eternity of pain & punishment after we die. Fair enough ... Personally, I don't see how a deity who could inflict such massive amounts of unjust torment on millions of people is in any way worthy of our worship (He is most certainly not a God who is simultaneously all-powerful & all-Loving), and yet all of us who have chosen to be "humble as children" must admit that this version of reality might indeed be true; that just such a future might indeed await most of us … And yet, if the Bible truly is to be taken literally, then we can all -- Christians & non-Christians alike -- take Heart and REJOICE in the following fact: that according to the Bible itself, there is not now, nor will there ever be, such a Godinflicted damnation! To prove this point, consider the following bit of "Biblical math":
61 *Fact #01) At least as it is professed by traditional Christian dogma, Hell is a punishment administered by God upon all those deemed "unworthy" of Heaven. Yes, some Christians like to say that it isn't a punishment at all -- that it is simply a consequence that we "sinners" choose to inflict upon ourselves, and yet most of us understand that this is a patently ridiculous argument. After all, only the most warped of sado-masochists would ever willingly choose to suffer for eternity, and there simply aren't that many pain-adoring folks around. If we are allowed to "call a spade a spade" -- then we are allowed to call Hell what it is: a punishment. *Fact #02) The Bible makes it very clear that all punishment is tainted by fear, and that perfect Love contains no fear ... in fact that perfect Love "casts out all fear" ... (see 1 John 4:18) *Fact #03) Jesus himself makes it just as clear in the Bible that God's LOVE is absolutely perfect ... (see Matthew 5:48) *Fact #04) Sooooooo, if the Bible is indeed literally correct, and if it is indeed to be read literally, then God's Love is perfect ... and thereby contains no fear ... and thereby is completely unable to inflict any punishment upon us whatsoever … including (& especially) Hell! Well done, God ... Well done in-deed! “There is no fear in Love, but perfect Love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in Love.” ~ 1 John 4:18 “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven; for He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you only love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? … Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect … God the Father judges no one, but has rather given all judgment to the Son ... You might judge by human standards, and yet I judge no one ... Indeed, I do not judge anyone who hears my words and yet still does not keep them ... For I have said these things to you so that my Joy might be in you, and that your Joy might be complete." ~ Jesus Christ (in Matthew 5:44-48, John 5:22, 8:15, 12:47 & 15:11)
62 Mark 16:16 … Belief is a verb (02/07/2014) My religion is Kindness … My dogma is Service … My salvation is LOVE (the verb). And in this moment I freely say to all -- indeed in this moment I shout it openly from the rooftops, that if I am one day brought to trial before the Celestial Judge of humankind -- that if I am one day prosecuted by God himself for these beliefs, then I am both honored & overjoyed that there is already more than enough evidence to convict me. "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." ~ Jesus Christ (in Mark 16:16) "Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do ... If you love me, you will keep my commandments ... And this is my commandment, that you Love one another just as I have Loved you." ~ Jesus Christ (in John 14:12,15 + John 15:12)
63 John 15:12 … God’s math (02/08/2014) “As for my father, I never knew whether he believed God was a mathematician, and yet he certainly believed that God knew math. And he also believed that only by humbly listening for -- and then courageously harmonizing with -- God’s rhythms of LOVE & Peace were any of us able to experience any sense of real Power & Beauty.” ~ inspired by Norman MacClean Higher math can get pretty complicated, and most of us never come close to comprehending its intricacies. How fortunate we are, then, that in every given waking moment of our lives God only requires us to be able to count to two ... ... and then to act accordingly. "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples: when you show Love for another ... And it is on that day that you will understand that I am in my Father, and that you are in me, and that I am in you ... For my Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and [thereby] become my disciples. Just as the Father has loved me, I have loved you; so you should also embody this Love. And indeed, if you keep my commandments, you WILL embody this Love ... For this is my commandment: that you Love one another just as I have Loved you." ~ Jesus Christ (in John 13:35 + John 14:20 + John 15:8-12)
64 Acts 20:35 … What it means to Give (02/15/2014) Acts 20:35 is a most intriguing verse. Without going into too much depth, its author shows the self-proclaimed "apostle" Paul quoting Jesus as having said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." On its face -- fair enough, and yet there is one small problem: nowhere in the Gospels of the Bible do we find Jesus saying these words! Throw in the fact that the "apostle" Paul never once saw Jesus in the flesh and that he never once heard Jesus preach in person -- at any time or on any topic, and one could very reasonably conclude that Paul was simply making it all up; that he was simply adding Jesus' name to this particular exhortation in order to give his own message more credibility; that Jesus never actually said these words at all. Yes, John 21:25 (a verse whose authenticity has also been questioned by the majority of scholars) does leave the door open for Jesus to have uttered this phrase at some point, and yet the point I wish to make is the following: It just doesn’t matter! You see, whether Jesus actually said them or not, these words are simply True. It truly IS better to Give than to receive, and every one of us has experienced this psychological & spiritual Reality at some point in our lives. Indeed, it can even be said that this wisdom is so true that Giving is actually the most pure form of Receiving; that Giving to others is itself actually the greatest Gift we could ever give ourselves (or rather, our Selves). And the same can be said for the words in this picture. Frankly, it just doesn't matter that neither Dumbledore nor Gandalf uttered this particular Wisdom. What matters is that it is True ... "Do or do not; there is no try". This statement is raw Truth, and it is especially true in relation to our Giving.
65 Indeed, to live a life of deep Meaning & real Purpose, it is not enough for us to gaze longingly at others and merely desire to give to them ... It is too little to gaze at the waters of generosity and merely wish to dive in, and it is also not enough to gingerly give whatever is easy or comfortable to those nearby who are in need; also too little to approach the pool of Giving and merely dip our feet in to feebly test the temperature of its waters. No, my Friends, if we are truly going to "max life out" -- if we are ever going to truly revel in the raw Bliss & ecstatic Joy that await us all in this stupendously marvelous yet tragically short life, we are going to have to throw all caution to the wind and Give everything we have to Give. For just one moment we are going to have to face all our selfishness and confront all our fear and Give to others without holding anything back -- and this, especially in those moments we least want to do so; and especially for those "least deserving" of the same. *When we are hungry and on our way to lunch, and the smelly, scary, homeless beggar asks us for some change, we only enter the Kingdom of Heaven when we smile gently into his eyes, touch him softly on the shoulder, and then give him everything in our wallets. *When we are saddened by a great loss or weighted down by a devastating tragedy, and the annoying, intrusive, gently-judgmental Jehovah's Witness comes knocking at our door, we only enter the Kingdom of Heaven when we smile gently into her eyes, invite her humbly into our homes, and then treat her like Royalty. *When we are feeling listless & lost and when it seems that the weight of the world has come to rest on our shoulders, and we hear that our enemy has sabotaged our success or slandered us behind our backs, we only enter the Kingdom of Heaven when smile gently into his or her eyes, openly express our forgiveness for that trespass, and then give him or her a long & sincere hug. There is an ocean of LOVE within every chance meeting; an ocean of Giving waiting ever so calmly for us to feel its smooth waters again ... Remember this today, my Friends. Look for this ocean in the eye of every stranger, and then dive fully into those waters, with an abandon as reckless as it is faithful. Dive in all the Way ... and let this Ocean be you. “True generosity is measured not by how much we give away, but rather by how much we have left.” ~ Shane Claiborne
66 Matthew 16:24 … Becoming true Followers (02/26/2014) "If any want to become my followers, they must deny themselves, and take up their cross, and follow me." ~ Jesus Christ (in Matthew 16:24) NEWSFLASH: if you are "following Jesus" to save the "lost souls" of others or to "attain salvation" for yourself, then you actually aren't following Jesus at all. "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me ... Truly I tell you, just as you did it for one of the least of these, so you did it for me." ~ Jesus Christ (in Matthew 25:35-40) "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples: when you show Love towards one another." ~ Jesus Christ (in John 13:35)
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68 John 14:6 … only through Christ (06/28/2014) While it is true that John 14:6 has Jesus saying, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me", this verse is not necessarily a call to Christian conservatism. Indeed, nowhere therein does Jesus say that worshiping him is the only Way, that he is the only manifestation of the Truth, or that he is the only path to eternal life. Even more importantly to those who take the Bible “seriously” (i.e. those who profess to follow it literally) is the Greek word "di" -- commonly translated in this passage as "through". Contrary to popular belief, this word does not mean "via" or "because of" or "in homage to", but rather means "on account of" or "by emulating" – meaning that Jesus is asking us not to worship him as a god, but rather to actively follow his Way of unconditional Love. And this interpretation not only bears by far the best "Fruit" when put into practice, it is also directly supported by Jesus himself when he said, "I do not accept glory from other human beings ... Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone ... My Father is glorified by this: that you bear much Fruit and become my disciples ... And by this everyone will know that you are my disciples: that you show Love for one another." (in John 5:41, Mark 10:18, John 15:8 & John 13:35) ... And to this I offer a hearty (and a Heart-full) AMEN! P.S. Just because current world religions do indeed dramatically contradict one another does not mean that one of them has to be correct … It is just as likely (if not even more so) that they are all flawed – in all probability flawed in direct proportion to the exclusivity of their acceptance of their “believers’ &/or the intensity of the condemnation of their “non-believers”.
69 John 3:16 … Ye shall not Parish (06/29/2014) There is way too much Right with this image not to share it ... First of all, you've got Yoda (who was all about courageous actions over zealous words or hollow thoughts) quoting Jesus (who redefined "believe in" as "actively emulate" -- see John 14:12). Additionally, you've got Yoda replacing the word "perish" in the original verse with the word "parish" -- which is absolutely fantastic once you realize that Jesus was all about praying in private and not doing so in church (see Matthew 6:6); in having a private & humble relationship with God, not a public & judgmental one. Amen ... Let it be so.
70 1 Peter 2:21 … The POWER Within You (06/29/2014) It is quite true that, if it can be purely given (i.e. without selfish motives and free from personal hopes & expectations), LOVE really does always “save” us in the moment it is given … Allow me to explain. Initially, it is important to understand that all forms of behavioral dysfunction are born in (and sustained by) the fearful, self-centered instincts of our most primitive “reptile brain”. Unconditional Love, on the other hand, is primarily experienced limbically (i.e. by the limbic system). This so-called "Heart Brain" perceives interactions independently from our higher brain's mere thinking or our lower brain's mere feeling. As such, when LOVE is purely given, it always circumvents the fear of the one to whom we give it, and thereby always arrives right where we intend it to land -- even if only for a moment; right at center of their Heart. And why is this so important? Well, far more often than not, people refuse to show Kindness to the "bad people" in their lives, primarily because they have been conditioned to believe the lie that such deeds of courageous Caring will not work -- that they won't make anything better. And yet the Truths of the matter are simple and show otherwise: namely, that Kindness is always possible, that Kindness always “works”, and that Kindness is always “worth it” … Indeed, even if we do not perceive an immediate "improvement" in the other, we can know that our Kindness has indeed reached its destination, that it has indeed brought them a glimmer of Peace, that it has indeed briefly awoken them to who they were as children and who they could become again, and that it has indeed guaranteed that this ultimate Awakening will indeed come -- and that it will come much sooner than it would have had we done nothing for them at all. Mere "love" is easy -- and therefore weak -- when it is given to those treating us well. And yet LOVE is difficult (and therefore Power-full) when we give it to those who are treating us poorly; to those "least deserving" of the same. And it is this latter LOVE that Humanity needs now more than ever; it is this latter LOVE -- and only this latter LOVE -- that will ultimately save us from extinction. And yet how can we put it into practice? By simply reaching out to all the people we fear – to all the strangers, to all the homeless, to all the unpopular, to all the "weird" ... and to all our enemies.
71 And when we do so, it is critical to remember that we are dealing with brothers & sisters -- not mere associates; with long-lost Friends -- not mere “enemies” … It is critical that we remember that “crazy people” aren’t actually crazy – that they are simply experiencing immense psychological &/or emotional pain … It is critical that we remember that "evil people" weren’t born evil; that they learned their “bad” behaviors at points in their lives when they felt they needed them to survive -- that they have simply forgotten to let these behaviors go. And this holds true for all the "mean people" and the "liars" and the "thieves" and the "criminals" and the "jerks" and the "assholes" and even the "demons" in our lives as well. They were all born Beauty-full, and they were all born Good. They might have made cruel choices to survive in the past, and they might be behaving cruelly to survive their present, and yet they remain Good at Heart --- and they merit our LOVE nonetheless. In conclusion, we are not here to wall ourselves within citadels of safety or hide within castles of comfort. Nor are we here to secure ourselves behind strong barriers of “good people” & “healthy boundaries”. No, my Friends, we are here for a very different Purpose indeed … We are here to LOVE, and we must do so ALL IN – without fear or hope or condition. And we must do so not by merely allowing those in need to come to us, but rather by seeking them out; yes, by seeking out the lost, and the damned, and the downtrodden ... And yet also by seeking out the wicked, and the cruel, and the impolite --- and the mean --- and yes, even the “evil”. By seeking them out ... and then by showing them LOVE. Amen ... Let it be so. "For it to this perseverant Love that you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, giving you an example, so that you might follow in his footsteps and reflect his perfect Love." ~ 1 Peter 2:21
72 1 John 4:8 … Any other God (06/30/2014) God is LOVE -- the essence of all matter, the source of all sentience, and the will to actively serve those who are downtrodden or despairing … Any other god is simply a deity not worth worshiping. “God is Love.” ~ 1 John 4:8
73 Galatians 6:2 … the sustaining Word (06/30/2014) Unlike human "literalists" who cherry-pick the Bible -- sorting out its verses and focusing only on those that suit their own personal values, whims & desires – here is someone who has indeed taken "Become the Word of God" quite literally to heart ... Well done, my canine Friend! P.S. I think it's funny that so many folks (and apparently a few dogs) go to such lengths to "figure the Bible out" or "know it by heart", when all we really need to do to be Saved is to actively Care for those around them (especially their enemies). "Bear one another's burdens, for in this way you will fulfill the Law of Christ." ~ Galatians 6:2
74 1 Peter 2:15 … The Will of God (06/30/2014) This picture is absolutely priceless ... and so spot on. P.S. The Bible itself supports Facebook God on this one as well. We are not called to arrogantly champion our own religious beliefs or openly condemn the beliefs of others. We have been called to humble ourselves as children and serve those in need ... period. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father." ~ Jesus Christ (in Matthew 7:21) "For such is the will of God that by Doing Right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men." ~ 1 Peter 2:15
75 John 15:8 … on becoming Disciples (07/01/2014) A challenge to all Christians (and non-Christians as well): Even if only for today, I dare you to live just one day the way Jesus wanted us to live every day. That is all … Peace. "My Father is glorified by this: that you bear much fruit and become my disciples ... And by this everyone will know that you are my disciples: when you show Love to one another ... For only those who DO what is True come to the Light." ~ Jesus Christ (in John 15:8 & John 13:35 & John 3:21)
76 John 13:14 … the Cleansing Way (07/01/2014) Calling all Christians: As I speak with more than a few of you and read many of your posts, it seems clear that you have forgotten a few of Jesus' more important Commandments ... namely, the two mentioned below; the fulfillment of which would instantly satisfy God's Will -- bringing harmony into your own lives, and humanity that much closer to World Peace. Amen ... Let it be so. "And to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." ~ Jesus Christ (in Luke 6:27-28) "You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for these are what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, so you also should wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you should do just as I have done for you." ~ Jesus Christ (in John 13:12-15)
77 John 10:35 … the unchanging Word (07/01/2014) Attention, my Christian Friends: There are (at least) two very different Gods in your Bible – one, a God of judgment & wrath & condemnation, and another, a GOD of unconditional Love & selfless Kindness & perfect Grace. As such, when reading scripture, please discern wisely ... … and then when living your lives, please act accordingly. Thank you. "No one actually believes that the Bible means what it says. More often than not they are convinced it says what they mean.” ~ George Bernard Shaw P.S. Yes, Jesus does say that "the Scripture cannot be broken" in John 10:35, and because it cannot be broken, it is all the more important to discern which verses of it are Divine and which are "of man" -- which are in harmony with the edicts & the values & the essence of an all-Loving Godhead, and which are in alignment with the dissension & the conflict & the arrogance of mankind.
78 Matthew 18:3-4 … as great as HE (07/03/2014) Science and religion need not be incompatible ... as long as our faith remains as humble as our scriptures say it should be, and proves to be as reasonable as it is humble. "I do not feel obliged to believe that the God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." ~ Galileo Galilei ... [And I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with a sense of humor desires for us to forgo its use either] "Truly I tell you, unless you change your ways and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Indeed whomever becomes humble like a child is the greatest in the Kingdom." ~ Jesus Christ (in Matthew 18:3-4)
79 Romans 14:4 … Religulousness (07/18/2014) "Imagine a world hundreds of years hence when humans come to believe that certain films from their past were made by God. Imagine that future, where millions of our own descendants persecute, imprison & murder each other over rival interpretations of the Star Wars trilogy, for example. It seems ridiculous, I must admit -- and yet in many ways no more ridiculous than the world in which we are already living today." ~ inspired by Sam Harris "Who are you to pass judgment on the servants of another? It is before their own master that they stand or fall. And yet they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand." ~ Paul (in Romans 14:4) "I truly know that God shows no partiality, but that in every nation anyone who honors Him and does what is Right is acceptable to Him" ~ Acts 10:34-35
80 Mark 12:17 … the Emperor’s due (07/25/2014) “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” ~ Jesus Christ (in Mark 12:17) What folks seem to so easily forget about this verse is that absolutely nothing of real Worth belongs to any emperor, and that absolutely everything of any true Value belongs to "God" (a.k.a. Allah, Chi, Prana, Buddha, the Soul, the True Self, the Soul, the Source, the ONE, quantum interconnection, collective consciousness, etc) ... In this sense, on a more subtle & more profound level of Truth, Jesus is saying that we are to quietly give our "leaders" whatever petty material things they desire of us, and focus all our energies & all our intentions on the Meaning-full tasks of the Divine: namely, selfless service for our neighborhoods, willing self-sacrifice for others, amazed wonderment towards Nature, grateful revelry for blessings, sincere forgiveness towards enemies, active compassion for all the downtrodden, and radical kindness towards all sentient brothers & sisters – regardless of race, gender, religion, nationality or species. After all, for us to be truly "Saved", we must first be free to choose that liberation, and to be so free, we must beforehand liberate ourselves from all our manly "masters". Even the self-proclaimed "apostle" Paul accidentally tripped over this Truth when he said, "For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and submit never again to any yoke of slavery." (in Galatians 5:1) … Ironically, again on a more subtle & more profound level, these "yokes of slavery" from which we are to free ourselves are not only our political rulers & their selfish demands, but all our conservative religious dogmas & all our society’s materialistic, superficial, fearinstilling cultural norms as well. For example … *Where politics says "tow the line" and "finance our war" and "accept us pandering to corporate evils", the Free Soul says "rebel Peace-fully" and "protest for Peace" and "grow your own foodstuffs" and “share with friends & strangers alike”. *Where religion says "kiss my feet to be saved" and "damn the heathens", the Free Soul tells us to "stand boldly for Love over bigotry" and "Love the members of all the faiths".
81 *Where our culture demands that we "act normal" and "behave appropriately" and "don't rock the boat", the Free Soul in-Courages us to go forth and openly become the change our communities so desperately need to see – to protest the corruption of our government by ignoring all politicians and refusing to participate in any of their sham elections, to protest the poisoning of our food while starting community gardens; to protest the unjust incarceration of petty "criminals" while visiting them in their prison cells; to protest the needless & cruel abuse of innocent animals while putting only plants on our plates. These are the keys to our Freedom, and this is how we can most effectively show all "emperors" that we know just how truly little actually belongs to them. As such, be well, my Friends ... and be FREE!
82 Genesis 1:9-10 … And it was Good (08/21/2014) And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was very good. ~ Genesis 1:9-10 Despite what the Miss Universe pageant has to say about the matter, I'm pretty sure that an all-Loving God (should She even exist) doesn't play favorites amongst the estimated 20 billion Earth-like planets that exist in our galaxy alone. That doesn't mean our Earth is any less special or any less beautiful or any less worthy of our caring & our respect, of course ... It simply means that God (should He even exist) has a lot more on His plate than we humans once thought. As such, maybe it’s time we give Him/Her a break and get busy taking care of some of our more pressing problems ourselves, eh? Be active ... Get involved ... Reach out to others ... Become the change you wish to See. Thank you.
83 Exodus 20:3-5 … getting RIGHT with religion (08/22/2014) "You shall have no other gods before me … You shall not bow down to [idols] or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of their parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me." ~ Exodus 20:3-5 Religions can be a dangerous business, if for no other reason than each & every one of them provide two very different -- indeed, two directly opposing -- teachings in regards to the concepts of violence & forgiveness … On the one hand, at the philosophical core of every single major religion in the world today, thrive the healthily shining concepts of Love & Compassion & Forgiveness & Kindness ... It is these principles that give many followers a tangible framework for their innate sense of morality, and it is these values that -- when put into practice -- have allowed our primitive ancestors to rise above the banal & the brutal; to transcend their barbaric, self-destructive beliefs in "might makes right" and "an eye for an eye"; to rise steadily towards the glory that awaits us all in the form of a world based in Peace & Respect & Humility & Service. Fair enough. And yet, on the other hand -- as evidenced by how those same religions actually preach their scriptures and actually practice their powers in the world today, therein quite obviously also pulses a darker side; a sinister dogma of callous condemnation & charred confinement; one that champions beliefs that denigrate & damn ... one that justifies acts of violence against others. Indeed, the religious leaders of all the major faiths have advocated war & violence & torture & terrorism throughout history -- and many continue to do so today ... And to make matters even more troubling, the sacred texts of those same religions quite clearly do so as well. This is quite obviously a hypocrisy that taints religion almost to its very hub; making it flagrantly clear that religion, for all its wonderful potential -- and while used by some people to incite amazing acts of goodness, principally still remains a refuge for charlatans, despots & scoundrels -- and is still to this day a motivating force for aggression, war & -- dare I say -- evil as well.
84 As "proof" of this point, please calmly consider the following bipolar conundrums that major religions still actively pose: *CHRISTIANITY ... On the one hand, Christianity quite clearly preaches nonviolence (Matthew 26:52), selflessness in community (1 Corinthians 10:24), a humble reconciliation with one’s enemies (Matthew 5:43-48 & Romans 12:21), the forgiving of trespasses (Matthew 5:23-24) and peace amongst all humankind (Matthew 5:9 & Luke 2:14). On the other hand, Christianity has been instrumental in advocating, perpetrating & justifying some of the most egregious acts of violence in all of human history -- including "just wars" (a la St. Augustine's oxymoronic theology), crusades, inquisitions, witch trials, mass executions of the innocent, capital punishment, corporal punishment ("spare the rod and spoil the child"), systemic violence & prejudice against women, bigotry against Jews & Muslims, the enslavement of Africans & African-Americans, and the spiritual damnation of all "heathens" & “non-believers” -- not to mention the covering up of the rape of thousands of adolescent youths by Catholic priests and the open lauding of the self-flagellation of thousands of self-righteous Catholic monks & nuns. This, to say the least, is not a consistent representation of a Loving God or a Loving Way of Living. *JUDAISM ... On the one hand, Judaism also proudly teaches the moral edicts of communal caring (Talmud, Sanhedrin, 27b), radical acts of kindness (Exodus Rabbah 26.2), peace amongst humankind (Talmud, Gittin 59b & Isaiah 2:4), an open & unconditional forgiving of others (Leviticus 19:18), and reconciliation with one's enemies (Tosefta, Baba Metzia 2.26). On the other hand, Judaism too has zealously advocated, perpetrated & justified similarly cruel & despicable acts of violence -- including wars, God-ordered Old Testament genocides (1 Samuel 15:1–20, Joshua 6:15–21 & Joshua 10:28–42), the aggressive mistreatment of Arabs in Palestine, along with millions upon millions of barbarically cruel & painful animal sacrifices. This, to say the least, is most certainly not a consistent representation of a Loving Yahweh or a Loving Way of Living. *ISLAM ... On the one hand, the Qur'an as well seems to profess the values of kindness towards all others (Qur’an, 39.10), unconditional forgiveness (Qur'an 64.14 & Nahjul Balagha, Saying 201), and an active reconciliation with one's enemies (Qur'an 42.36-43 & Qur'an 60.7).
85 And yet on the other hand, Islam has quite famously advocated -- nay, often demanded, perpetrated & justified absolutely horrific acts of cruelty & physical judgment -- including "holy wars" (Jihad), acts of violent terrorism, cruel punishments for minor offenses, open violence & flagrant discrimination against women, along with open acts of aggression towards all non-Muslims. This, to say the least as well, is absolutely not a consistent representation of a Loving Allah or a Loving Way of Living. So what are the religious to do? Are they to give up their faiths? Are they to blindly follow the ill-advised and dysfunctional teachings of many of their more cruel prophets and more bigoted preachers? Not necessarily. There IS another Way -- a Way embedded at the very center of every religion; a Way that can be walked by any human being -- believer or not. It is a Way that requires a dropping of dogma, a purging of preachers and a tearing away from theology. It mandates that each & every believer read their religion's sacred texts for themselves ... And it requires that all verses & all passages read that do not reflect a perfect & exception-less LOVE be seen for what they are -- manmade manacles; person-built prisons; cleric-erected cells -- and it requires that these immoral phrases be tossed aside for what they are trying to do: namely, imprison our minds in fear, and thereby imprison our Souls in self-centeredness. No, my Friends -- to worship a God of LOVE, we must LOVE as that God must LOVE ... And to LOVE as that God must LOVE, we must be free to LOVE without condition or exception. And to be so purely free, we must courageously discard all the religious conventions that keep us from Caring, & we must actively rebuke all the religious teachings that encourage or justify violence of any kind. This is the Way to refine to your religion ... This is the Way to re-turn to your God ... This, my Friends, is The Way. Amen ... Let it be so.
86 Mark 2:10 … the Power to Forgive (08/23/2014) "The Father judges no one, but has rather given all judgment to the Son … You judge by human standards, and yet I judge no one." ~ Jesus Christ (in John 5:22 & 8:15) This is yet another example of two verses of the Bible's New Testament combining to show that Jesus was definitely not speaking of himself alone whenever he spoke of "the Son of Man" ... Instead, in order to make his Biblical teachings noncontradictory & non-hypocritical, we must read his "the Son of Man" to mean the True Self (or the conscience, or the Soul, or "the Advocate" -- as Jesus called it in John 14 & 15) that resides within each & every one of us -- the True Self that blossoms forth anew every time we place humility before arrogance, kindness before callousness, and Love (the verb) before fear. Indeed, in the case of the above-mentioned verses, it makes perfect sense that a representative of a truly all-Loving Godhead would proclaim quite clearly that neither he nor that Deity would ever condemn anyone for any reason whatsoever. So, if Jesus & his Father are both willing to accept all others just the way they are -- to boldly stand for justice & compassion, yes, and yet to do so with gentleness & respect & kindness ... well, if Jesus & his God are willing to do this for us, is it too much to ask for us to do this for each other as well? Is it too much to ask that we, especially in our moments of anger or frustration or confusion, choose to let our Soul do the talking and our conscience do the walking? Is it too much to ask for us to err on the side of Caring ... and become again a "Son (or Daughter) of Man"? "Know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." ~ Jesus Christ (in Mark 2:10)
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88 Matthew 23:23 … true Tithing (09/04/2014) It is high-time for a new Commandment -- one that would force preachers to re-enliven their innate integrity, one that would force churches to finally actualize their most meaningful purpose, and one that would force religions to finally embody a righteousness more pure & true ... And that Commandment is the following: Thou shalt not tithe money -- any money -- to anyone but the truly poor. There are people in need all around all of us every day. We don't need our churches to help us distribute our Kindness, and we sure as Hell (pun intended) don't need to give them payments of any kind to absolve us of our sins. If God is not the essence of perfect Love, then tithing money to our 'religious leaders" won't soothe His tendency towards celestial fickleness & greed anyway … And if God is the essence of perfect Love, he sure as Heaven doesn't want our material gifts to go where they are not needed. Indeed, it's time for us to quit enabling churches to half-do for others what we should have been fully & courageously doing for them all along. When it comes to Love & Kindness, it's time to cut out the middle man and go give directly ourselves. Amen ... Let it be so.
89 P.S. Remember as well that a true Man (or Woman) of God is never one penny wealthier than the poorest member of their congregation ... period. "Woe to you, scribal and Pharisaic hypocrites! For you tithe mint and anise and cumin, and yet have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and compassion and faithfulness." ~ Jesus Christ (in Matthew 23:23) “Beware of practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them ... So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets ... But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be given in secret." ~ Jesus Christ (in Matthew 6:1-4)
90 Romans 8:28 -- Evil & the omnipotent God ... (09/05/2014) Roughly 2300 years ago, a Greek philosopher named Epicurus made a most intriguing postulation regarding the presence of evil -- one especially poignant for all those who considered themselves to be in any way religious ... It went (and still goes) something like this: This is indeed a brilliantly concise summation of the problem for any member of any religion, and yet it is a summation that is not fully complete ... For all those secular folks tuning in, allow me to briefly elaborate, and -- for all you religious folks out there who either believe in a just & loving God; or at least want to do so -- allow me to provide you with a solution to this conundrum. First of all, let's quickly examine the options presented by Epictetus -- not to judge them as "right" or "wrong", but simply to remember how we are to respond to such a God if He does indeed exist in any of these forms. *God #01 -- Good but relatively impotent ... If God exists and is a God who wants to eradicate evil but has become too old or too tired or too weak to do so (or who was never able to in the first place), then it is up to us to do so for Him -- remembering, of course, that evil can only be defeated using means that oppose its own; namely forgiveness given to the evil of condemnation; kindness given to the evil of violence; peace given to the evil of war; acceptance given to the evil of bigotry & compassion given to the evil of hatred.
91 *God #02 -- Powerful but callous (or even malicious) ... If God exists and is a God who is powerful enough to eradicate evil but purposefully chooses to allow pain & suffering -- maybe to "teach us a lesson", maybe so we will "we get what we deserve", or even maybe because He enjoys watching us writhe & despair, then this is a God who is -- at the very least by conscious omission -- actively participating in evil. And as such, this is a God who we as decent, moral & just beings must fully & openly oppose. "God works in mysterious ways" is simply no defense for a God who has the ability to limit suffering and yet maliciously instigates or amplifies the same. *God #03 -- Uninterested & relatively impotent ... If God exists and is a God who is not powerful enough to stop evil and doesn't even try to do so (&/or doesn't really care either way), then this a God who is worthy of our Compassion (and maybe even our pity), but certainly not our worship.
92 And finally, THE SOLUTION ... Initially, please note that I am not offering this alternative as an objective Truth. No one ever has known the full nature of God and no human being ever will. And yet if you happen to believe in a God who is all-Loving (and therefore a "Father" or "Mother" worthy of worship) and quite powerful (and therefore a "Creator" or "Source" worthy of honor & gratitude) then there remains a fourth possibility that satisfies this yearning while reconciling Epicurus' apparent contraction; a solution that actually already rests at the heart of the oldest teachings of the founders of all the world's major religions -- including the heart of your own. Simply stated, if God is a highly potent Creator (or “evolutionary Instigator”, if you prefer) who is the embodiment of perfect, unconditional LOVE, then the existence of evil and a lack of a Divine response thereto can easily be explained in the following way: Goodness comes from the Divine -- a Goodness that includes free will "granted" (in all probability via evolution) to all sentient beings. And since sentient beings have free will without objective understanding, and since their free will is coupled with a highly potent and purely narcissistic drive to survive & procreate, radically selfish choices are frequently made -- choices that often knowingly inflict others with pain in order to ensure the betterment of the ones making them ... These are, in essence, "evil" choices that engender and enliven "evil". Now if this Godhead is anywhere near all-Knowing, then He (or She) is aware of the fact that the maximum amount of Bliss available to any sentient being comes in those moments when free will is used to transcend reasonable selfish impulses of "self-respect" or "self-love" or "self-defense" or "justified retribution" or "fair punishment" -- and choose instead to exude a practical facet of selfless solidarity … In other words, psychological "Salvation" comes to those who choose LOVE over sadness or fear or anger. And because our perfected Godhead is aware of this Truth, it is an act of great Love -- indeed, an act of great Self-Sacrifice -- for Him (or Her) to not interfere with the "evils" that occur in our lives; to purposefully not soothe them or eradicate them in any way; to thereby grace us with the opportunity to transcend our more primitive selfish instincts and respond to evil with Kindness instead -- and thereby enter a state of raw, fear-free, Joy-full & Peace-full euphoria that Jesus called "The Kingdom of Heaven". Thank GOD for that … literally!
93 "For the LORD is good and his Love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." ~ Psalm 100:5 "We know that God makes all things work together for good for those who are called according to God's purpose ... Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God: what is good and acceptable and perfect." ~ Paul (in Romans 8:28 & 12:2)
94 “And I will take one from a thousand and two from ten thousand, and they shall Become a single One.” ~ Jesus (Gospel of Thomas 23)